17. "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. And so, you shall listen to the word from my mouth, and you shall announce it to them from me.
18. If, when I say to the impious man, 'You shall certainly die,' you do not announce it to him, and you do not speak so that he may turn aside from his impious way and live, then the same impious man will die in his iniquity. But I will attribute his blood to your hand.
19. But if you announce it to the impious man, and he is not converted from his impiety and from his impious way, then indeed he will die in his iniquity. But you will have delivered your own soul.
20. Moreover, if the just man turns aside from his justice and commits iniquity, I will place a stumbling block before him. He shall die, because you have not announced to him. He shall die in his sin, and his justices that he did shall not be remembered. Yet truly, I will attribute his blood to your hand.
21. But if you announce to the just man, so that the just man may not sin, and he does not sin, then he shall certainly live, because you have announced to him. And you will have delivered your own soul."
22. And the hand of the Lord was over me. And he said to me: "Rise up, and go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you."
23. And I rose up, and I went out to the plain. And behold, the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory that I saw beside the river Chebar. And I fell upon my face.
24. And the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet. And he spoke to me, and he said to me: "Enter and enclose yourself in the midst of your house.
25. And as for you, son of man, behold: they shall put chains upon you and bind you with them. And you shall not go out from their midst.
26. And I will cause your tongue to adhere to the roof of your mouth. And you will be mute, not like a man who reproaches. For they are a provoking house.
27. But when I will speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them: 'Thus says the Lord God.' Whoever is listening, let him hear. And whoever is quieted, let him be quieted. For they are a provoking house."